Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
By Lynsey Walker, VP, Marketing & Communications, CHFA
CHFA took over Vancouver last week with our annual trade show and conference, CHFA NOW Vancouver, on April 3-5. This year’s show was extra special as we celebrated CHFA’s 60th anniversary. This milestone was a big one – it means 60 years of growing Canada’s natural, organic and wellness (NOW) industry into what it is today. Attendees felt the excitement and celebration through the visuals and experience – especially at our diamond & denim-themed CHFA Member Mixer. We even had an exhibitor member do a diamond giveaway on the trade show floor. Aside from the festivities, the innovations, and exciting finds from the CHFA NOW Vancouver 2024 trade show floor also made this show one to remember. We’re excited to fill you in on the top trends we saw on the floor and what will be making its way into shoppers’ baskets in the coming year.
Healthy in a Hurry
The first significant trend was better-for-you products to take on the go. Whether it’s baby boomers embracing “active aging” through exercise classes, or Gen X and millennials navigating hectic work schedules alongside parenting responsibilities, one common thread persists: people are leading increasingly busy lives. But where shoppers used to lean towards a granola bar to keep them fueled on the go, brands are now innovating many more options to keep people on the move, satiated, fuller longer, and feeling good.
Products to keep an eye on:
Beck’s Broth Instant Coffee Sachet, Hippie Snacks Granola+, Jackfruit, Savör Snacking Avocado and Herbaland Snacks with Benefits.
Mood Food
Equally noteworthy is the rise of “Mood Food,” reflecting a growing awareness of mental well-being as an integral component of overall health. With candid conversations around anxiety, stress, and sleep becoming the norm, consumers are seeking functional products tailored to support emotional balance and cognitive function. Whether it be through more traditional natural health products specifically calling out its target states (like St. Francis’ Herb Farms Strest) or simple powders to add to our meals to support the gut-brain axis, mood and wellbeing are on consumers’ minds.
Products to keep an eye on:
Blume SuperBelly Hydration Powder, Purana Lions Mtane Powder, Feed That Brain Gummies, Greenhouse Sparkling Water, and St. Francis Herb Farm Strest®.
Not So Guilty Pleasures
We are living in an era marked by soaring inflation rates, geopolitical tensions, and the lingering aftermath of a global pandemic and it’s no surprise consumers are seeking comfort in familiar indulgences. However, with health remaining a top priority for consumers, many brands are finding ways to balance taste and health to prove indulgence doesn’t have to come at the expense of well-being.
Products to keep an eye on:
Poppi’s Modern Soda, Humble Potato Chips’ Ketchup Chips, Panela Lemon Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Edible Cookie Dough, Soft Crush De-Alcoholised Wine, Tealish Superfood Hot Chocolate.
These trends took centre stage at CHFA NOW Vancouver, proving convenience, mental well-being, and indulgence are reshaping our ideas of wellness. We’re already counting down the days to CHFA NOW Toronto, taking place September 19-22, 2024, at the Enercare Centre in Toronto. We hope you join us. Find out more at chfanow.ca
